Heat exchanger



J. A. ccbY' HEAT EXCHANGER June 6, 1939.

Filed June 28, 1937 Joseph A0 t'akenonline2-2ot1.

Patented June 6, 1939 rem-r t me 1 Claim.

The invention relates to heat exchangers of the type which is usually moved from place .to place and wherein the units are relatively long, and have flexed or bowed tubes extending through sag braces, and has for its object to provide a clamping member clamped to the bowed tubes and forming a wear plate for engagement with the sag braces as the tubes flex and move incldent to variation in temperature, thereby preventing wear of the tubes, which is the common difliculty experienced with heat exchangers as at present constructed.

A further object is to provide the sag brace with a plurality of bars on which the tube courses 5 are supported and wear plates carried by the tubes and moveable therewith and engaging the bars of the sag braces and taking care of the wear incident to the movement of the tubes as they flex incident to temperature change.

A further object is to form the wear plate of the clamping members with undulations in which the tubes rest, and to provide-means for clamping the ends of the wear plates to the tubes so that they will move incident to expansion and g5 contraction and flexing oi the tubes and in engagement with the bars of the sag braces.

with the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the cpmbination and arrangement oi parts as hereinafter set forth,

30 shown' in the drawing, described and claimed,

' it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. 35 In the drawing: a

Figure 1 is 'a top plan view of a heat exchanger,

part of one or the sag braces being broken away to better show the structure.

- Figure2lsavertical sectionalvlew Figure -3. is a detail oersnec veview of one of wear plate clamps and portions of the sad brace and tubes. 4

- Referring to the drawins, the numeral l des- 5 ignates the side channels oi the heat exchanger and 2. the stationary headers carried thereby. The headers l are stationary and connected togetherby the bent orflexed tubes 8, which are assembled inIiiexed condition so that when'they are heated andthey expand, they will move latacross theexehangerbut will not assume a straight position at any time.

111s coats. of tuba arc in rewith, in a transverse lation as shown in Figure 2, and are supported by the horizontal bars d of the sag braces 5. It has been'found that the tubes wear incident to their constant lateral movement, under expansion and contraction and by sliding engagement 5 with the bars d, and to renew the tubes is an expensive operation and involves the shutting down of the exchanger. To obviate this difficulty, each course of tubes is provided-with a wear plate 6, which is slidably mounted on the 10 bars 4 of the sag braces and is preferably undulated in form as shown in Figure 2 so that the tubes will rest therein. The ends of the wear plates 6 are provided. with bolts I, which extend upwardly between the outer tubes 3 and through 1 clamping plates 8 which engage the upper sides of the outer tubes, therefore it will be seen that the wear plates 6 will move laterally with a sliding engagement with the bars 4 of the sag braces, consequently will take up the wear, and 29 when the wear plates become worn, they may be easily replaced without shutting down the exchanger, as they can be assembled within the sag braces and clamped in position.

It has been found that by providing the wearplates considerable expense is saved in repair bills and the clamps can be easily and quickly applied without'shutting down the system, which is a material factor in heat exchangers oi this character, which are relatively long and heavy, 30

and transported from place to place for use, for

instance in oil field operations where it is obvious a shut down of an exchanger, incident to a worn tube, would not only involve the cost of replacing the tube, but would cause suspension of the entire operation. The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

A heat exchanger comprising side members,

- stationary headers carried by said side members 40 in spaced relation, normally flexed courses of tubes connecting the headers, transversely disposed sag braces connecting the side members ihtermediate the headers and above which the "courses of tubes extend and laterally move on 6 temperature change. undulated wear plates en-' gaging the upper sides of the sag braces and in the undulations or which the coursu of tubes are disposed, said undulated wear piates being anchored to the tube courses for movement thereso JOBEHA-OOY. 

